Support for fabric marking



May 9, 1944.

B. HARTSHORN SUPPORT FOR FABRIC MARKING Filed May 24, 1943 r I INVENTOR. N Y Beuce' Hm TSHOEN BY HTT'ORNEY Patented May 9, 1944 SUPPORT FABRIC w Bruce Hartshorn, Baldwin Park, Calif assignor of one-half Calif.

to Kenneth Glandon, El Monte,

1 ine-anon May 24, 1943, Serial No'. 48;,194 1 I (c1.2s1 "1')- '6'Claims.

This invention relates generally to. the hand marking of fabrics with ink for identification purposes in laundries and dry cleaning establishments. g

It is the present practice in many laundries, dry cleaners and similar businesses .to hand mark customers fabric articles for future identification, by stretching the fabric between adjacent fingers of one hand while employing the other hand to apply a customers identification mark to the surface of the stretched portion of the fabric with a pen and suitable permanent ink.

This essential operation requires the services of a skilled person in order to obtain legible marking in a minimum of time, and is a tedious job necessitating careful and. accurate Work so as not to blot the fabric or illegibly mark same as a result of flexing or distortion of the unsupported portion of the fabric being written upon.

An object of this invention is to provide a device structurally characterized by means defining a writing surface forming a rigid backing or foundation for the fabric and adapted to be supported on one hand in a position convenient for the writing operation and wherein the fabric can be held taut against the writing surface with the utmost ease, whereby to enable the desired mark to be applied to the rigidly supported taut portion of the fabric with pen and ink by an unskilled operator, thus greatly expediting the marking operation and reducing the labor cost thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support for fabric marking of the above described character, which, in its more specific aspect, includes a finger-receiving portion or loop enabling the device to be securely held on the hand when closed and while maintaining the fabric to be marked taut against the writing surface of the device for convenient writing with pen and ink on the rigidly supported portion of the fabric with the utmost ease and dispatch by one unfamiliar with such work.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the combinations and arrangements of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is a perspective view of the support for fabric marking embodying this invention, applied to the hand of an operator;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l with a fabric article held taut inoperative rel'ation to the writing surface ofthe device;- 1

Figure 3 is a plan view of the invention per se;

and, 4

V Figure 4 is a view of the invention in sideelevation. 1

Referring specifically to theidrawing, the: invention in its illustrated embodimentcan beconstructed of plastidmaterial or suitable metal, molded, cast, or otherwise cheaply produced by standard manufacturing methods.

The invention comprises a body designated generally at In and having an attaching portion II in the form of a closed loop, the opening I2 in which is of such diameter as to freely receive the third finger of the hand to a point between the first and second joints as shown in Figure 1.

The body I0 is further provided with a solid writing surface l3 defined by an elongated portion l4 projecting tangentially from the attaching portion H and of a length sufficient to span the width of the third and index fingers when these fingers are held close together as shown in Figure 1. In practice, the writing surface [3 is about one and one half inches long and one half inch wide, although these dimensions as well as the size of the opening I2 may be varied to provide a few different sizes to fit different size fingers.

The writing surface I3 is of an outwardly curved or bowed contour as shown clearly at IS in Figure 4, to facilitate holding a piece of fabric F tightly against such surface in the operation of the invention which is as followsf The third finger of i one hand is slipped through the opening I2 to dispose the portion l4 so that it overlaps the index finger when the fingers are brought close together and bent over the palm of the hand as shown in Figure 1. The fabric F is now applied to the portion I4 and is clamped between the thumb and index finger and between the third and fourth fingers as shown in Figure 2, so as to stretch the fabric and draw the part 1 thereof to be marked, taut against the writing surface [3, whose bowed contour facilitates this operation.

The writing surface I 3 now provides a solid support or backing for the fabric to enable same to be readily marked with pen and ink without danger of having the pen puncture the fabric and blot and/or illegiblymark the fabric. Thus the services of an unskilled operator can be utilized to perform the marking operation in an entirely satisfactory manner and with an appreciable saving in time. Furthermore, by the use of this invention, it is not important that the writing strokes be in directions diagonally of the weave in order to prevent inadvertent penetration of the fabric by the pen point, as the writing surface I3 maintains the Writing on the exposed surface of the fabric.

I claim:

1. A supporting device for fabric marking comprising: means defining a smoothand uninterrupted rigid writing surface; and attaching means on the first means disposed to engage a finger of the hand and support the device thereon with said writing surface extending across the outer side of adjoining fingers when arranged side by 2. A supporting device for fabric marking comprising: a body having an elongated writing area whose surface is smooth and uninterrupted; and a finger receiving loop projecting laterally from;

the body to support the latter on thehand with the length of 'said'writing area extending across the outer sideof the loop receiving finger and the" adjoining finger when-arranged side by side.

3. A supporting device for fabric marking comprising: a'finger receiving loop; and an extension projecting tangentially from said loop to inelude a portion *of the circumference of the latterand preventing an elongated area having a rigid surface which is smooth and uninterrupted throughout the area, for writing thereon.

4. A supporting device for fabric marking comprising: a finger receiving loop; and an extension projecting tangentially from said loop and constituting a solid writing surface; said writing surface being bowed outwardly in a direction longitudinally of the extension for the purpose described.

5. A supporting device for fabric marking comprising: a, bod having a mouth and uninterrupted rigid writing surface of a length sufiicient to span the 'width of the index and third fingers when brought together; and means on the body disposed to; co-act with one of said fingers in supporting the body on the outer side of the fingers when brought together as aforestated.

6. A supporting device for fabric marking comprising: means defining a smooth and uninter- 20 rupted rigid writing surface of a length sufiicient 'to, span approximately the width of the index and third fingers when side by side; and a loop disposed on the first means at a location to receive the third finger to support the devicetherefrom with the writing surface exposed on the outer side of the *a'foiestated fingers when arranged as afcrestated.

BRUCE HARTSHORN. 

